帶來3D視覺享受的兩款筆記本電腦
【英文原文】
Two Laptops With 3-D Technology
If switching from standard to high-definition television wasn't confusing enough, there's another wave of TV technology on the horizon: 3D. But 3D TVs and much of the 3D content won't be available until later this year, and even then most of these sets will be pricey and will require people to wear special glasses for viewing. If you can't wait for a 3D TV to hit your living room, you can get a preview of what's to come with the latest in 3D laptops.
I feasted my eyes on 3D laptops this week, testing the $770 Acer Aspire 5738DG () and checking out the $1,700 Asus G51J 3D (). These two computers are aimed at different crowds and each uses different technology to display enhanced images. The Acer is designed as a laptop first and a 3D game player second, and it's priced for mainstream consumers -- only about $70 more than the model without 3D. The Asus laptop is meant for serious gamers who care about a high-quality 3D experience. Unfortunately, you still need to wear the 3D glasses with both.
The Acer Aspire laptop applies a slightly older 3D method known as micro-polarized display, often referred to as 'micropol.' It combines software, a film layer on the computer screen and 3D glasses to make videos and photos pop out. This laptop can take 2D videos and photos and display them in 3D; it also plays about 150 3D games as well as 3D movies, of which there aren't many.
Acer converts 2D content to 3D by using a third-party software program called TriDef 3D, which people must use to see their photos and videos in 3D. Using this program is a bit clumsy and I tested it by loading my own photos and videos onto the Acer. A faster way to see photos or videos in 3D is by right clicking on the file from anywhere else on the PC and selecting an option to see it in TriDef's 3D player. It was fun to see old images and videos in this 3D simulation.
I looked through a friend's photos from a trip to Petra, Jordan, and the 3D sight of him riding a camel through a rock valley was spectacular. Files that were in the Windows Media Video format played without issue, and I watched two such videos including one of a bear lumbering in a stream. But when I had trouble playing QuickTime and MP4 video files, an Acer spokeswoman checked and confirmed that the TriDef program won't play all QuickTime or MP4 video files; TriDef is working on fixing the MP4 problem.
Another problem with the Acer's technology is that the laptop screen must be tilted at just the right angle -- about 120 degrees -- to see 3D properly. Otherwise the image looks blurry.
Eight photos and nine short videos come loaded on the Acer Aspire. All of these looked really good to my eyes, which were covered by the included black 3D shades. A clip-on piece for prescription glasses also comes with the laptop.
The Acer Aspire can be loaded with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, discrete graphics, 4 gigabytes of memory and a 320-gigabyte hard drive. Its keyboard includes a 10-key number set on the right, like that found on most desktop keyboards.
The pricier Asus G51J 3D laptop comes loaded with Nvidia's 3D Vision, considered to be a much higher quality 3D experience. This technology was originally only available on a desktop PC with several different necessary components. Now on a laptop, it displays 3D images to people as long as they're wearing special battery-powered glasses and are standing no more than 40 feet away. These Nvidia glasses deliver the highest resolution possible per eye and enable wide viewing angles. The screen also has a high refresh rate of 120 hertz compared to the Acer's 60 hertz.
Unlike the Acer Aspire, 2D photos and videos can't be viewed in 3D on the Asus. Instead, this laptop depends on originally produced 3D content, including photos or videos that are captured using special technology like that found on 3D cameras such as Fujifilm's FinePix REAL 3D W1, which are rare. As is also true on the Acer Aspire, movies only play on the Asus if they were created in 3D.
Games are another story. Nvidia 3D Vision will convert 2D games to 3D in real time using the computer's graphics processor. Nvidia has tested some 430 games that work with this technology today.
Asus couldn't send a G51J 3D laptop to me in time for this column, but I got a look at it in January while wearing the battery-operated Nvidia glasses, which work for 40 hours before a recharge and can fit over prescription glasses. This laptop has an Intel Core i7 processor and can have a hard drive of up to 500 gigabytes. It comes with 4 gigabytes of memory.
Later this year, Acer also plans to make a laptop with Nvidia's technology. (Acer currently uses Nvidia's technology in its monitors.)
It's obvious that, right now, 3D technology isn't necessarily something most mainstream consumers want or need. Gamers will see Asus's G51J 3D as an exciting mobile alternative to what was once only available in a desktop. And the Acer Aspire will appeal to casual gamers and people who want a trusty laptop and/or the ability to view some photos and videos in 3D. One thing's for sure: Wearing the special glasses -- no matter how stylish -- is still a wearisome part of seeing things in 3D.
【中文譯文】
帶來3D視覺享受的兩款筆記本電腦
如果從普通電視轉換到高清電視還不足以讓人暈頭轉向，那麼看看另一波即將出現的電視技術：3D。不過3D電視和大部分3D播放內容要到今年晚些時候才能在市面上有售，即使到了那個時候，大多數3D電視都會價格不菲，而且需要佩戴特殊的眼鏡才能觀看。如果你等不及3D電視進入你的客廳，你可以先一睹爲快3D筆記本電腦上有什麼新玩意兒。
本週我享受了3D筆記本電腦的視覺盛宴，我測試了770美元的宏碁(Acer) Aspire 5738DG和1,700美元的華碩(Asus) G51J 3D。這兩款電腦面向不同的用戶羣，採用不同的技術來顯示增強的圖像。宏碁的設計首先考慮的是作爲筆記本電腦使用，然後纔是3D遊戲機，定價也是針對主流消費者的──只比沒有3D功能的電腦貴70美元。華碩筆記本電腦卻是爲注重高質量3D體驗的遊戲迷設計的。不幸的是，這兩款電腦都仍需要使用者佩戴3D眼鏡。
宏碁筆記本電腦採用的是一種略老的3D模式“微小偏振顯示”。這種技術結合軟件、電腦屏幕上的一層膜和3D眼鏡，令視頻和照片呈現立體效果。這款電腦可以拍攝2D視頻和照片，用3D加以顯示；它還可以播放約150部3D遊戲或3D影片，不過3D遊戲和影片並不多。
宏碁使用一款第三方軟件程序“TriDef 3D”把2D內容轉化爲3D，人們必須用這款軟件才能以3D方式觀看照片和視頻。使用這個程序有些麻煩，我測試時是把自己的照片和視頻上傳到宏碁電腦上。以3D方式觀看照片和視頻的一種更快方法是用鼠標右鍵點擊電腦任意地方的文件，選擇用TriDef 3D播放器觀看。看到老圖片和視頻以3D方式呈現很有意思。
我瀏覽了一位朋友去約旦佩特拉旅行的照片，他騎着駱駝穿越岩石峽谷的3D場景真是太壯觀了。播放WMV格式(Windows Media Video)的文件時沒有問題，我觀看了兩個視頻，其中一個是一隻熊在一條溪流中笨拙地行走。不過，我播放QuickTime和MP4視頻文件出現了問題。宏碁的一位發言人檢查後證實TriDef程序不能播放所有的QuickTime和MP4視頻文件；TriDef正在努力修復MP4播放問題。
宏碁技術的另外一個問題是，電腦屏幕必須傾斜成合適的角度（約爲120度）才能很好地觀看3D視頻。否則圖像看起來很模糊。
宏碁電腦上自帶八幅圖片和九個短視頻。用隨機附送的黑色3D眼鏡觀看，效果均非常不錯。電腦還隨機帶有可以夾在近（遠）視眼鏡上的3D眼鏡。
宏碁Aspire能配備英特爾酷睿2雙核處理器、獨立顯卡、4G內存和320G硬盤。其鍵盤右側有與大多數臺式機鍵盤類似的、10個單獨的數字鍵。
價位更高的華碩G51J 3D筆記本電腦配備了Nvidia的3D版顯示芯片，可提供更高質量的3D體驗。這一技術原先只能在臺式機上使用，且必須有幾種不同組件的支持。現在只要人們帶上特殊的靠電池供電的眼鏡並距離屏幕不超過40英尺，便能看到筆記本電腦上展示的3D圖像。這些Nvidia眼鏡提供最高的分辨率和寬視角。其屏幕有着120Hz的高刷新率，而宏碁屏幕的刷新率只有60Hz。
與宏碁Aspire不同，在華碩電腦上不能以3D模式觀看2D照片和視頻。相反，這檯筆記本電腦需要本身就製作爲3D的內容，包括利用諸如富士FinePix REAL 3D W1等3D相機中的特殊技術拍攝的照片或視頻。而這種3D相機非常罕見。只有以3D拍攝的電影才能在華碩上以3D模式播放，宏碁Aspire也是如此。
遊戲則不同。Nvidia 3D版利用計算機的圖形處理器把2D遊戲實時轉換成3D模式。到目前爲止，Nvidia已經測試了約430個與這一技術兼容的遊戲。
華碩未能及時交給我一臺G51J 3D筆記本電腦，但我在1月時曾戴着Nvidia眼鏡看過它。Nvidia眼鏡靠電池供電，單次充電可工作40個小時，且能夠與近（遠）視眼鏡配合使用。這檯筆記本電腦配備了英特爾酷睿i7處理器和4G內存，硬盤最高可達500G。
今年晚些時候，宏碁也計劃推出使用Nvidia技術的筆記本電腦。（宏碁目前在其顯示器中使用Nvidia的技術。）
目前，3D技術顯然不是最主流消費者想要或需要的必備功能。遊戲玩家會把華碩G51J 3D看成是令人興奮的移動3D電腦，而這種功能過去只有臺式機纔有。對於偶爾玩電腦遊戲的用戶以及想要一臺可靠的筆記本電腦並（或）希望能以3D模式觀看照片或視頻的人，宏碁Aspire更具吸引力。但有一件事可以肯定：戴着特殊的眼鏡看3D，無論有多新潮，仍很累人。
